


Withered, Wind-Up, Worthless

by stargirl (orphan_account)



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Fluff, Jim Being Creepy, M/M, Sebastian the Knight, fairy tale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2013-11-16
Packaged: 2018-01-01 17:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/stargirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim Moriarty is the seller of hearts. Sebastian Moran, a disgraced knight, has been hired to earn one for a not-so-mysterious benefactor. Jim, being the evil bastard that he is, doesn't make things easy. A fairytale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Withered, Wind-Up, Worthless

Once upon a time, there lived a boy. He was rather average-looking, with dark hair and large eyes, but he had a very extraordinary gift. It was his mind – the thing was always buzzing and whirring like a hornet’s nest, only with less noise and more venom.

The boy’s name was Jim.

Now, Jim was not a very happy child. In fact, he was always particularly bored. All day long, adults spoke to him as if he had a grand total of two brain cells, ignoring the fact that he could barter the price of his groceries down to half what the vender was asking for and play the fiddle in a fashion that could make the devil green with envy. His parents, who were far too wrapped up in drinking ale and milking cows to even notice they had a child, ignored him. And, as much as the young boy hated to admit it, he was very, very lonely.

He watched his neighbor’s children titter away with their girlfriends, boyfriends, best friends, and he told himself that he’d never, ever need anyone else. But, though he focused his thoughts elsewhere, his chest continued to ache and stretch and melt like a phantom stumbling blindly through the dark, reaching out to find something, _anything,_ to stop the pain and fill him up.

Luckily, that something found him.

Jim was on his way home from town one day, having just sold his hen’s eggs for two shillings at the market. He tossed the coins into the air, watching them reflect sunlight before catching them in the palm of his hand and repeating. He was very close to his cottage when an old woman, dressed in what looked to be decaying bedclothes, stepped out in front of him, blocking his path.

“Spare change?” she asked. Jim tried not to notice her crooked teeth, nor the smell of rotten mothballs that surrounded him like a musty cloud, nor her kind eyes.

He turned up his noise, pointedly stepping around her.

“I’m afraid I don’t have anything to offer.  
 It was true – he needed every cent for his family, or his mother would sell his clothes if he came back empty handed. They were already a dry week away from loosing the farm.

“Even if I did,” he continued, stepping away, “I wouldn’t give a cent of it to you.” He strolled down the road, leaving the woman in the dust.

He barely flinched a moment later when another woman appeared before him, looking as pristine as a duchess and examining him through familiar blue eyes.

“Luckily, I have exactly what _you_ need,” she said, holding out a small burlap parcel.

Jim stared at it for a moment before wrapping his hand around the parcel, his curiosity burning like an oil lamp, pinching the rough fabric between his thumb and index finger.

Before he could take another breath, the woman disappeared.

He continued on home, never to see her again.

~

The parcel, as he soon discovered, was meant to be buried. Checking to make sure his parents were scarce, he ran to the window, pulling the drawstrings and opening the bag, spilling the contents into his palm.

His eyes narrowed as a tiny seed, smaller than a thimble, tumbled out of the burlap. It was sharp, a dark red, and in a peculiar shape. It looked almost like a slab of meat, encrusted with veins and sacks bulging out, looking ready to burst.

It was a miniature replica of an anatomically correct heart.

Jim examined his find for a moment. His vast knowledge allowed him to determine that it was, in fact, a seed. He rolled between his fingers for a moment before his curiosity got the better of him and he went outside to plant it.

The next morning, as the sun rose like a sunny egg yolk in the clear blue sky, Jim looked out his window to find a magnificent tree had sprouted in his field.

It was tall, much taller than he, with leaved the color of emeralds and a trunk as thick as a grown man.

And hanging from the branches were the ripest, reddest, most beautiful hearts that Jim had ever encountered.

Jim decided not to pluck one for himself, as he was sure the old crone had intended. Instead, he started a business, selling hearts to anyone he deemed worthy enough to buy one.

As Jim grew older, he learned to ignore the steady throbbing of his chest.  His business soared, and he became rich beyond belief. He upgraded his tiny shack to a cozy cottage, he sent his parents far away where they could live comfortably without interrupting his new lifestyle, and the patchwork clothes he had grown up with were traded for fine garments.

Eventually, when Jim reached the age of maturity, he was approached by a man whom he assumed to be a disgraced knight. The man wore a dark uniform, one that Jim instantly recognized as belonging to the Ice King. Before the stranger could open his mouth, Jim grinned.

“Let me guess,” Jim drawled, running his fingers over his precious fruit. “The Ice King’s had a heart attack, so they’ve sent you to fetch him a new one. No, wait – it’s not for him, is it? Why, it’s for his darling little brother, Sherlock.”

Sebastian was impressed. The truth was, he had heard whispers of Jim the Powerful in the darkest corners of the kingdom, where thieves roamed in packs and wailing could be heard at all hours of the night.

He had been secretly ecstatic when the Ice King picked him as the man to be sent on this quest after he had split a man’s nose open during a bar brawl. The Ice King had rationalized that it took a criminal to deal with a criminal, and had sent Sebastian to do his dirty work.

So now, Sebastian the Strong stood before Jim, asking for a heart not intended for himself.

“’S about right,” he said.

“Alright,” Jim acquiesced. He crossed his arms, examining the man. “On one condition.”

“Anything, fine sir.”

“Just outside Londonia, west of the valley of Ashes, lies a rocky region. In this region, there is a beast guarding a cave that grows crystals cold enough to freeze time. Bring me the head of the beast and a bucketful of the crystals, and that which you desire shall be yours.”

“As you wish.” Sebastian consented. After giving a slight bow, the dark fabric of his uniform wrinkling and the sun catching on the top two golden buttons of his vest, he left.

~

After a few days of traveling, Sebastian came upon a region where a cliff crashed into the ocean, towering above like a jagged castle. Just below the top of the formation, there was a dark hole eroded away – the cave of ice crystals.

Sebastian sauntered up the narrow and winding path, dodging falling rocks and crumbling stone as if they were drops of rain. When he reached the top, his eyes searched eagerly for the beast; his sword, inherited from his blacksmith father after a customer had failed to pay, clasped tightly in his hand.

Immediately, the ground rocked like a ship at sea, and Sebastian was assaulted by the putrid stench of rotting flesh. The dragon, the height of three men and covered in silver scales, flew out of the cave, roaring like a wounded animal and looking down at the knight. Sebastian cut to his right, narrowly avoiding a taloned foot crushing him like an insect. He thrust his sword forwards, prodding at the tendon stretched tight along the back of the beast’s ankle only to receive a sword dripping with slimy excretion as a reward.

The beast swung its tail, catching Sebastian and sending him flying across the mouth of the cave, crashing against the stone wall. He jumped back to his feet, ignoring the throbbing in the back of his head, and he lunged forwards, slashing valiantly.

The dragon chose that exact moment to step out of his path; Sebastian toppled forward, landing flat on his chest. The dragon roared, raising its foot and bringing it down on top of the burly knight.

Sebastian rolled out of its path just in the nick of time, but the beast still managed to catch the sleeve of his jacket, tearing it away as if it were made of parchment and piercing his flesh.

Sebastian bit back a cry of pain, only allowing bimself to clutch at his bloody wound for a moment before rising again. Panting and letting out the cry of a warrior, he dashed out between the legs of the beast and stabbed upwards, piercing its belly.

The dragon let out a strangled cry of pain. Blood rained down on Sebastian like a crimson waterfall, but he did nothing to stop it. He treasured the feeling of the sticky warmth engulfing his skin, the coppery scent mixing with his own sweaty aroma, and the sweet sound of agonizing wails as the beast fell.

Suddenly, the dragon was shrinking; its neck shortened, its scales turned into pale flesh, and its talons retracted into small feet. The dragon was no longer a dragon; it was a small child with hair as dark as a raven, hiding his face in his chest and curled up on the cold stone ground.

Sebastian knelt, reaching out a hand and gingerly placing it on the child’s head.

“Chin up, little soldier,” he said, his voice like velvet, “it’ll be alright.” Slowly, the child lifted his head, he eyes red and blotchy from crying, peering out at Sebastian and the world surrounding.

The child smiled. Already, Sebastian saw his skin darkening, his legs growing – in one swift movement, Sebastian brought down his sword, chopping of the head of the child and forever halting the transformation.

He stood, grabbing the bucket at the mouth of the cave and entering, using the hilt of his sword to knock jagged translucent crystals from the wall and catching them in his bucket.

Satisfied, he left, stooping to pick up the head of the child and placing it in the burlap sack where he kept his money, which was empty at the moment. He kicked the body of the child over the edge of the cliff as he walked away, not slowing even as he heard the faintest sound of splashing in the distance.

~

Jim was rather surprised to find the attractive blonde knight had returned, standing on his doorstep with a shimmering bucket in one gloved hand and the other holding the head of a small child by the hair. He accepted the items, telling Sebastian to sit tight in the kitchen while he opened a trap door and descended, storing his prize down in his cellar. Moments later, Jim reappeared, this time with a only clear class jar in his hands.

In this jar was a heart. However, it was not an ordinary heart, meant to be bright red and pulsating with life. This heart was black as coal, shriveled like curated meat.

Sebastian wordlessly accepted the withered heart. He left Jim and travelled to the Kingdom of Ice.

However, when Sebastian found himself kneeling before the Ice King himself, he found the heart he carried was red and vivacious, just as a heart should be.

It mattered little to him – in fact, Sebastian was rather amused by Jim’s trickery. He accepted his payment of twenty gold pieces and left the ice kingdom, returning to his cottage with his new loot.

~

Two moons later, Jim was rather pleased to find himself once again visited by the dashing knight.

And once again, before the knight could open his mouth, Jim opened his own.

“Miss me already?”

Sebastian had, indeed. “Like fairies miss rain. “

Jim looked at him for a moment.

“But with too much rain, fairies drown,” Jim chided.

Sebastian cocked an eyebrow. “Luckily, I know how to swim.”

Jim was silent for a moment, rather impressed.

“Come on, then,” Sebastian pushed, “aren’t you going to tell me why I’m here?” Jim knew, indeed – he had been expecting a visit from the dashing knight for a market week, and had worn his most flattering garments in anticipation.

“You’re here for the knight, John the Valiant. He had his heart ripped out by an ogre during the war, and he needs a replacement.” Sebastian nodded in agreement.

“And lemme guess, there’s one condition?”

 Jim smiled. “Just a teensy one, dear Sebby. South of Londonia, just below the Forest of Angels, runs the river Styx. The river empties into a lake, guarded by a monster far greater than that which you previously faced. The water it guards is said to melt all it touches, even if it is only a drop. Bring me a vial of this water, and the heart shall be yours for the taking.” Sebastian considered this for a moment.

“If the water melts all it touches,” he questioned, “then how will I bottle it?” Jim drummed his fingers on the tabletop, pleased by the knight’s intelligence.

“You’re much more clever than I anticipated.” He reached into his pocket, retrieving an empty glass vial attached to a loop of cord and placed it around Sebastian’s neck.

“This vial was forged in the fires of Mordor, it shall bear the liquid.” Satisfied, Sebastian rolled the glass between his gloved fingers.

“As you wish,” he consented, taking leave.

~

A few days later, Sebastian found himself following the fabled river Styx right to the edge of a small lake with water clearer than crystal. The moment he stepped on the plush grass around the water’s edge, the sound of a woman singing filled the air. The beauty and calm of the song washed over him like a tidal wave as his ears rang with notes as sweet as honey, paralyzed Sebastian.

The water parted, and he watched as a head began to ascend, miraculously breaking through the surface of the toxic water.

Sebastian snapped out of his trance, drawing his sword and recalling Jim’s warning about the fearsome monster.

The figure rose, and Sebastian was startled to see that it was nothing more than a woman.

She was rather pretty, with long, flowing hair and a childlike beauty. She reached out a slender hand, motioning for Sebastian to step into the water and join her.

Sebastian looked down through the looking glass water and dropped a stone, watching it sizzle as it sent ripples through the smooth surface and sink.

It dissolved before it reached the bottom.

He stared at the woman quizzically, wondering why she expected him to kill himself, and shook his head.

Than woman, confounded that the man had not submitted to her will, felt an unfamiliar sensation burning in her chest.

It was rage.

She reached out, clutching the arm on the knight and pulling him forwards.

Sebastian cried out in pain as the tough fabric of his sleeve disintegrated, searing his skin.

He lurched forwards, catching himself just before he would have toppled headfirst into the lake, and he shook off her grasp.

In one swift motion, he drew his sword, stabbing it through her chest until just the hilt protruded, effectively killing her.

Sebastian withdrew his sword, wiping the silver blood in the grass before sheathing it and allowing the body to descend into the lake, never to sing another note.

He knelt, filling the vile and covering it with a stopper made of the same glass to keep it from splashing before placing it back around his neck and starting on the long trek home.

~

If Jim was surprised to see Sebastian succeed the first time, he was astounded to find the man knocking at his door a second.

“You weren’t taken by her beauty?” Jim inquired, taking the vial and descending once more into the cellar.

Sebastian shrugged. “She wasn’t my type.”

Jim reappeared in an instant, a Cheshire grin across his face and another jar in hand. This jar contained a heart just as peculiar as the previous – it was red from rust, constructed from mismatched scraps of iron bolted together, with a wind up key protruding from the back, making it look rather like a tinker toy.

But John the Valiant accepted it graciously, smiling and patting Sebastian on the shoulder before handing him a bag with five more gold pieces than promised.

Sebastian wasn’t complaining.

~

As the days grew longer, Sebastian couldn’t help but feel something aching inside him. He realized that he was very, very unhappy; it was as if there was a black hole inside his chest, sucking away any chance he ever had at feeling joy and leaving him hollow.

Sebastian decided he wanted a heart.

Whenever he saw Jim, the man who gave hearts, he instantly felt better.

So, scraping up the last of his gold, he set out to buy a heart of his own.

~

“Go ahead, Jim, tell me why I’m here.” Making himself comfortable, Sebastian lounged across Jim’s furniture, acting as if he owned the place. After Jim studied him for a moment, he gave his answer.

“The king’s lover, Lestrade.”

“Nope.” Jim frowned; it had been a very long while since he had been wrong.

“The medicine lady?”

“Who?” A moment of silence passed.

“Your sister.” Sebastian froze. His sister had died years ago, eaten alive by pixies. They found her bones strewn across the forest behind his cottage.

“I wish,” he muttered, dropping his eyes. “But this one’s for me.”

“You?” Jim asked, flooded with fury. “Why ever would you need one?” He felt betrayed. This man, whom he had grown rather fond of (despite his own heart of stone), was proving himself to be just as weak as the rest of the kingdom. He shook his head.

Sebastian gave no answer.

“I have a brother,” Jim said.

“Is he just as dashing as you?” Sebastian mused, his mind starting to wander. Jim’s frown broke his spirit.

 “His name is Richard. But we were separated many years ago. Find him and bring him to me, and I shall give you your _heart._ ” He spat the word as if it were poison.

Sebastian tore the kingdom apart looking for the alleged Richard, scouring through wasteland and paying for the services of sketchy wizards, hunting through forests and posting wanted posters on any flat surface he could desecrate. However, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t find any information on the boy.

While Sebastian was away, the Ice King discovered the true condition of his brother’s heart. Blinded by rage, he sent out a dozen of his best men to capture the merchant of hearts and take him prisoner.

When Sebastian caught wind of Jim’s fate, he abandoned his search, knowing it would yield no reward. Even if it did, Sebastian wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle having a replica of Jim instead of the real thing.

Wounded by grief, Sebastian returned home. Having spent every last piece of gold on his travels, he found he couldn’t even drown his sorrows in cheap ale. So, doing the only logical thing he could think of, he broke into Jim’s house and raided his cellar.

Sebastian was awestruck by the sheer amount of magical items lining the shelves; there were candy colored potions, vials of every shape and size, a cast iron cauldron in the corner – it looked as though he had stepped into a wizard’s lair.

But it was the far corner of the room, covered in shadow, where a small tittering could be heard, caught Sebastian’s attention. Forgetting his search, he wandered over, striking up a match so he could see what exactly Jim had been hiding.

There was a long coil of wire, running as a knee-high fence, concealing the corner of the room. Encaged was an adorable bunny rabbit, white as snow, nibbling on a wilted green leaf and hopping around the dirt floor.

“So this is what Jim was hiding,” Sebastian mused, running a hand over the back of his head.

“Who says he was hiding me?” Sebastian jumped at the sound of the voice, identical to Jim’s, emanating from the rabbit.

“I’m sorry, I just assumed – “

“I was hiding from people like you. My brother offered to give me repose.” Sebastian’s eyes widened in understanding.

“So you’re Richard? The sneaky bastard.”

“Where is my brother,” asked Richard.

“He was taken prisoner by the king. I am sorry.” Much to Sebastian’s dismay, the small rabbit began to shake. It was weeping.

Sebastian picked up the rabbit, cradling it against his chest.

Try as he might, nothing he said could console the rabbit. Until finally, he made a decision.

“Don’t cry, little guy. I’m gonna get your brother back.” Richard quieted.

“R-really?” he asked, his voice wavering.

“Of course. Besides, he owes me. Now come on, I have a plan.”

~

Sebastian lied about having a plan, but Richard didn’t need to know that. Well, he had part of a plan. He grabbed the only three things in the cellar he recognized (the ice crystals, the vial of water, and Richard) and headed towards the castle, praying he’d find Jim held prisoner there. He tucked the rabbit under his shirt, hugging him close to his chest as he approached the drawbridge.

Atop the towering gate stood a guard.

“Hello, fine sir,” the guard called. “What business do you have here?”

“Please, sir, I am just visiting the king. I’m…delivering…his ice.” And with that, Sebastian dropped a crystal at the base of the gate and crushed it with his boot. He felt coldness pass over him, and the guard stopped moving. The birds stopped singing, the wind stopped blowing, and the waving flag stopped waving. Sebastian remained unaffected.

He opened the vial, pouring some on the liquid in a circle over the gate and watched the metal sizzle, melting away to reveal a hole for him to climb through. Sebastian had no idea how the crystals worked or for how long. He heard movement coming from inside the castle; he threw another ice crystal into the main hall, counted to three, and burst into the room.

He saw the king standing a little too close to a grey-haired knight, a cup of tea on it’s way to the floor from the carelessness of a hyperactive young prince, and a jester crossing his eyes.

Sebastian moved quickly through the castle, keeping one hand on Richard and tossing ice crystals whenever needed. Through sheer luck, he found a door leading to stairs spiraling downwards, leading him directly to the jail cells.

Throwing down another ice crystal to halt the movements of the brazen guard, Sebastian moved to the cell, trying not to feel Jim’s beady eyes following his every movement. He used the last of the water to dissolve the lock, swinging the door open and tugging Jim along by the hand.

Time sped up, and Sebastian whipped around to find the guard jumping on him. In a flash, Sebastian’s sword was out, and the gray-haired man fell to the floor with a slit throat.

“My knight in shining armor,” Jim drawled. “How can I ever repay you?”

“Shut up, Jim, I’m trying to save your arse.” But Sebastian did wish to be repaid.

When he reached the top of the staircase, he realized he had no ice crystals remaining. He pressed his ear against the door, hearing the sound of patrons moving busily on the other side.

He his mind began to race as he realized he didn’t know what to do. Richard, sensing the elevation of Sebastian’s heartbeat, did know.

“Let me out,” the rabbit whispered. “I’ll distract them.” Sebastian nodded, scooping the rabbit up in one hand and placing him on the floor, opening the door just a crack. He watched as the small rabbit hopped away.

“Please tell me you didn’t just lose my brother,” Jim said, smacking the knight across the back of his head. “You’re going to pay for this.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. After a few moments, he heard the sounds of cooing and gasping and general amusement. He eased open the door to see all inhabitants of the castle gathered around the corner of the room with their backs to the door, staring at something unseen and rather small.

Sebastian and Jim dashed through the hall and out the front door. This time, the gates opened easily.

“I am going to skin you alive,” Jim whispered as the castle grew father and father away. “I am going to gauge out your eyes and feed them to you like grapes.”

After a while, Sebastian began to believe him. But he honestly couldn’t bring himself to care; Jim was out and that was all that mattered.

The idle threats continued until Sebastian pushed open the door to Jim’s cottage, when Jim stopped dead in his tracks. Sitting on the table with his legs crossed was a man that looked identical to Jim.

“Richard?” The name popped out of Jim’s mouth like a gem.

“Yes, darling?” the man answered. Jim rushed over, sweeping him into a hug and burying his face into his neck.

“How?” he asked.

“The king is actually a pretty cool guy. We bonded over carrots. He imprisoned the witch that did this to me, and he got her to reverse the spell. So, I’m home free. Also I may have convinced him I was you, so you’re off the hook.”

Jim let go of his brother, taking a step back.

“My little Richie’s growing up into a manipulative sociopath. I’m so proud.” Sebastian flinched when Jim took a hold of his calloused hand, intertwining their fingers.

Richard, taking his cue, looked at the two men, glanced down at their conjoined hands, and then headed towards the door.

“Well, I better start reconstructing my life as a human,” the smaller man said, giving a slight wave.

“Good luck, Bunny,” Sebastian said before he could stop himself. Richard blushed before shutting the door behind him.

Jim turned to him, smacking him sharply across the face.

He made it all better by kissing Sebastian, firmly on the lips, and never letting go.

“You found my brother,” Jim said, stepping closer. “I believe I owe you.” Sebastian shook his head.

“You were right, Jim. I guess I didn’t need a heart, after all.”

Because Sebastian had felt as though a weight was pressing down on his chest. The pressure was wonderful, a gentle reminder that happiness was forever in his grasp, flowing through his veins and encircling his mind.

And so Jim and Sebastian lived happily ever after, sleighing monsters and tricking monarchs until they were as old and withered as the heart Jim had given to Sherlock all those years before.

But some moments, Sebastian would stop whatever task was at hand, and he’d place a palm on his chest. He never did get used to the heaviness, constantly feeling it’s pull and throb under his warm flesh.

After all, a heart’s a heavy burden. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! comments and likes are very much appreciated. for more mormor, my tumblr is brokentoysniper.tumblr.com. enjoy :)


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